Monday, November 24, 2008

The Boy David AKA Foreign Secretary was glad handing the criminals and thugs, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni of Kosovo ( Europe Minister Caroline Flint and DFID Minister Mike Foster were also present to join in shaking their bloody hands) who were in London with President Sejdiu and he was anxious to ;

....applaud the President and Prime Minister's commitment to full deployment of the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX). This deployment is a crucial stage in Kosovo's development. Despite their deep concerns about some of the UN proposed transitional arrangements, I am impressed by the clearly-voiced commitment of Kosovo's leaders to take account of the concerns of Kosovo's Serb community. I discussed with them the importance of cooperation with the UN both in the interim phase before EULEX's full deployment, and thereafter, to the benefit of Kosovo as a multi-ethnic nation.

"Kosovo needs to keep building bridges with its neighbours as it moves closer to the EU. Britain will be with Kosovo in its search for security and prosperity, just as we were during the process leading to independence. "

EULEX will be the EU's largest civilian ESDP mission. Its responsibilities include monitoring and mentoring Kosovo's police, judiciary and prosecutors. Head of Mission General Yves de Kermabon aims to reach Initial Operating Capacity, assuming responsibility for the full range of EULEX's mandate, on 2 December.

Which may have something to do with ..... Four days before a bomb attack in Pristina Kosovan leaders rejected a plan (what the Boy David calls their "deep concerns) by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's for the deployment of an EU police and justice mission, EULEX.(Reuters)German spies bomb EU office in Kosovo

Three men ( named so far as Robert C. (47), Andreas B. (41) und Andreas J. (41) see pic) , who it now transpires are members of Germany's foreign intelligence agency the Bundesnachtrichtendienst (BND)were arrested last Wednesday, in Pristina on suspicion of throwing explosives at the office of the EU Special Representative Peter Feith on Nov. 14 (4 days after the leaders rejected EULEX) . They deny involvement in the blast and claim they were only examining the scene. The explosion shattered windows in the building but no one was hurt.

On Saturday 22nd November a Pristina district court judge ordered them detained for 30 days on terrorism charges that could carry sentences of up to 20 years. AP report that court documents show that the prosecutor, Feti Tunuzliu, alleges that the suspects had intended to disrupt the EU's efforts to deploy its new police mission in Kosovo. Tunuzliu wrote that one of the suspects threw 300 grams (0.6 pounds) of dynamite at the EU offices from a building across the street on Nov. 14 as the two others kept watch. The BBC reported that the 3 men were simply investigating the event when arrested.

The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that three German citizens have been arrested in Kosovo but declined comment. der Spiegel reports they are BND agents but had not been officially registered with the Kosovo authorities, as required so do not enjoy diplomatic immunity.

Bild today says the BND has ruled out the involvement of any of its employees in the attack on the EU office and have sources who believe it is the work of extremists in Kosovo who oppose the involvement of foreign organizations in their country. The arrest of the Germans is, they conclude, the result of a power struggle within the Kosovo leadership, with the anti-European faction having prevailed over those who wanted to see the three men released.

This diplomatic brouhaha arises when there is increasing tension and concern over the EU police mission in Kosovo. UN peacekeepers have been deployed since NATO bombed the country from 20,000 feet and the original UN mission, UNMIK, is now downsizing and the 2,000 strong EU mission, known as EULEX, is due to take over law enforcement.

However, Serbia, which has not recognized Kosovo, has won concessions on the EU deployment and the current plan proposes leaving the UN to patrol the ethnic Serb enclaves within Kosovo. Pristina rejects this and suspects that the split in policing will lead to a de-facto partition of Kosovo.

All very odd.. and the German Parliamentary Control group (PKG) will be meeting folks from the BND for a chat .. er .. "special meeting" which will no doubt be behind very closed doors.

Thomas Oppermann, chairman of the PKG , Social Democrat, said he could not imagine how the German agents could be involved in an attack on EU offices. "That seems to have been plucked out of the air," he told ARD on Monday. Max Stadler, who represents the opposition FDP on the panel, told the Berliner Zeitung that he wanted the government and the BND to say if the men were indeed intelligence officers.

UPDATE Tuesday Nov 25thGazette von Antwerpen suggests in a report that the Kosovan (ie Albanian) Mafia have fit up the Duitsers as they don't want anyone (EULEX) interfering in their lucrative people rafficking and drug smuggling.

The NYT report ..."Germany was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo after it declared independence and it is a major aid donor. “Germany supports E.U. policy in Kosovo, and as such it would make no sense to attack the E.U. building in Pristina,” said Max Stadler, deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission (FDP) supervising the German secret services. "

Which makes sense, but one wonders what the BND guys were up to.

See also Emportal Serbian news agency report ..."Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovicyesterday visited the Visoki Decani Monastery where he stated that Kosovo Serbs cannot accept the Kosovo institutions’ four-item plan regarding the deployment of EULEX in the province. "

It seems no-one wants EULEX (except the Boy David) but curiously this is a story which hasn't seen light of day in any UK Press / TV....except us.UPDATE : 25th Nov Der Spiegel says Kosovo authorities claim to have a film showing the bomb attack- but it hasn't been made public.